The Miracle of Allah in Creating Shadow
Selections from the Book The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (50)
Allah Almighty said: {Have you not considered your Lord - how He extends the shadow, and if He willed, He could have made it stationary? Then We made the sun for it an indication. (45) Then We [retract and] hold it with Us for a brief grasp. (46)} [Al-Furqan: 45-46].
Allah, the Exalted, began to present evidence for His existence and His complete ability to create diverse and opposing things. He said: {Have you not considered your Lord - how He extends the shadow,} This refers to the period from dawn until sunrise. {and if He willed, He could have made it stationary?} meaning that it could have remained unchanged. As Allah Almighty states: {Then We made the sun for it an indication.} indicating that without the sun shining upon it, it would not be recognized, as opposites are known only through their contrasts. His saying; {a brief grasp} can mean that it moves smoothly, or it could mean quickly, or that it retracts lightly so that no shadow remains on the ground except under a roof or a tree, as the sun has already cast its light over everything else.
It is an expression that invites contemplation and awakens the senses to that unmistakable movement. Following the steps of the shadow as it retracts instills a sense of freshness and comfort in the soul, while also evoking a gentle awareness as one observes the creation of The Evolver, The Flawless Shaper and The Gracious Creator. The scene of the shadows lengthening as the sun inclines toward the horizon is captivating; they stretch and stretch until, in a moment of anticipation, a person looks and finds them all vanished. The disk of the sun has disappeared, taking the shadows with it.
The structure of the observable universe, along with the coordination of the solar system, is what causes the shadow to move in this gentle manner. If this arrangement were to differ even slightly, its effects on the shadows we observe would also change. Had the Earth been stationary, the shadow would remain fixed, neither extending nor retracting. If the Earth's speed were slower or faster than it currently is, the shadows would stretch and contract at a different rate. Thus, the harmonious order of the evolving universe according to its laws allows for the phenomenon of shadows and bestows upon them the properties we perceive.
This guidance toward a phenomenon we witness every day, often passing by in a state of oblivion, is part of the Holy Quran's approach to continually revive our awareness of the universe. It awakens our senses to the world around us and stirs the dormant feelings within us that have been dulled by the familiarity of the astonishing cosmic scenes. It serves as a means of connecting our minds and hearts to this vast and marvelous universe.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him, pp. 348-350.
- In the Shade of the Qur’an, Qutb, 5/2569.
- Ibn Kathir’s interpretation, 3/320.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
